Hello kiddies....
I'm back again, I've heard y'all missed me....
Thank
you Diggy Kat for sitting in and providing us with a winning top ten.
Here's hoping I can top that. But first a bit of observations.
Poor
Jessica Simpson. Tony Romo broke up with her and she's broken hearted
all over again. I wish she could find herself a good man but I don't
think she'd know what to do with a good man. Plus the fact she's too
high maintence. Sorry about that darlin....
Are we ever going to see the National League ever win a All Star Game again in this lifetime?
Am
I going to be impressed of any more new albums this year? Donno if the
Dead Weather, the new Jack White side project will work or not.
Pitchfork Inc, denounced the new Alice In Chains track and called the
new Son Volt album a boring pile of poo, they only gave it a 3.7 on the
rating scale. Wasn't that impressed with The Search so I may take a
pass on the new Son Volt. I want to rock out and not be bored to death.
RIP Drake Levin, former guitarist with Paul Revere And The Raiders.
And Michael Jackson is still dead.
The Top Ten Of The Week.
1.
Nuclear Apathy-Crack The Sky (1978) These guys were prog rock but came
from Pittsburgh of all places and made a few albums for Lifesong to
which at that time in the 70s could be found in the dollar bins. John
Palumbo was the leader but he left during the making of their third
album Safety In Numbers and had a great vocalist in Gary Lee Shepperd
filling in. This track is kinda Pink Floydish in a way and too bad that
the FM stations back then didn't give them the airplay like PF. Renaissance Records added this song on a Crack The Sky best of called
(what else?) Crack Attic. However Crack The Sky still remains around,
with a brand new album coming out in September via their website. One
good thing about the internet is that it keeps the cult bands going,
long after the majors gave up on them and moved on to the flavor of the
week.
2. Lady Whiskey-Wishbone Ash (1970) Another band that
made some headwave on the FM underground in the 70s but never gotten
their due, this is from the first Wishbone Ash album, full of UK guitar
boogie rock and I think W.A. might be one of the most unappreciated
bands out there. Classic rock radio never gave them any kudos which
shows you how shallow classic rock radio is on free radio. This is an
album cut. Decca Records went with Blind Eye for the first Ash single.
Didn't get much airplay outside of Beeker Street and I think Clyde
Clifford does play that once in a while.
3. Tall Dark
Stranger-Buck Owens (1969) Why does classic rock radio suck but classic
country doesn't? I figured it's a longer and better playlist. I heard
this on the way to work from the small town FM station on 99.3 and damn
right. When they play a classic country song from Buck Owens, I do
take notice more than you do.
4. Bested-Big Back Forty (1997) I
still believe that in the past twenty years that there was good albums
from good bands that slipped under the radar and I still stand by my
original review of this band from Columbus Ohio that this was the best
album of 1997. Still sounds good 12 years later. So much so that I
ended up buying a 2nd copy of this album when I was out in Arizona for a
dollar. A great album driving when you're on the road.
5. I've
Got Enough Heartache-Three Dog Night (1970) Yeah, they were a singles
band and yeah most of their albums you can live without (well the ones
after Harmony), 3 Dog Night didn't write their songs but found great
songs from other bands such as Traffic or Elton John or even Spooky
Tooth to which this song comes from. In fact, I think I like this
version better than the one on Spooky Tooth Two. Didn't care much for
Spooky Tooth come to think of it. I got stuck in the truck exit runaway
listening to Spooky Two so that record brings a bad memory. So much
that I donated it to Goodwill before I came home. Just like the
Quicksilver Messenger Service Original Masters CD.
6. White
Bird-It's A Beautiful Day (1970) I'm not sure who's the more dated,
IABD or QMS. With Quicksilver, I guess you had to be in a drug induced
mood to get the jams out since most of Classic Masters of Quicksilver
bore the fuck out of me. However, I did find the S/T IABD and Marrying
Maiden 2 on 1 that Sony stuck out in the UK before Matthew Katz blew a
tampon and Sony took it out of print. The Kim Jong II of the music biz,
Mr Katz has made life hell for It's A Beautiful Day and Moby Grape in
terms of filing lawsuits against the record labels. But you can get a
shitty sounding S/t IABD CD from his San Francisco Sound label and pay
import prices for it. Look hard and you might find a better sounding
Sony UK CD in the dark corners of your local record store. Provided if
you still have a record store in your town.
7. The Human
Jukebox-Sandi Thom (2006) From the ironically titled Smile...It
Confused People CD, Sandi got some big time PR by doing online live
shows from her living room and amazingly got a recording contract in the
process. Kinda reminds me of KT Turnsbull or Meredith Edwards of Bitch
fame. Seems to be a one and done deal in the US since SONY music
didn't issue her second album stateside. Found for a buck at the
pawnshop. A mercy buy.
8. Joe Louis Is A Fighting Man-The
Dixieaires (1947) From a album of Joe Louis tribute songs, this one is
interesting for that Bo Diddley beat before Bo Diddley; sounds like
early rock and roll. Joe Louis was perhaps the best boxer before Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson. But then again people back then loved Joe
Louis unlike Mike Tyson. In fact I don't think there was ever a tribute
album for Tyson.
9. When The Whip Comes Down-The Rolling
Stones (1980) From Sucking In The Seventies, that odds and sods album
of long ago. This track actually doesn't suck, it rocks pretty damn
hard for a band that was in it for the money and usually phone their
performances in (Live Licks anybody?). Sometimes the Stones needed a
good boot in the ass and even then I'm still not convinced that they
were THE GREATEST ROCK N ROLL BAND IN THE WORLD PERIOD. But this track
does prove that they could rock when they wanted to (which isn't too
often anymore).
10. Closing Time-Leonard Cohen (2008) From Live
In London, Leonard's comeback live album and he had to work again since
his former manager embezzled most of his money and sold his back
catalog (the bitch) but even at age 74, Mr Cohen really sounds like he's
happy to be on stage and he sounds like he's having a good time too.
He's got a great band backing him up as well as his long time background
singer, the amazing Sharon Robinson and the Webb Sisters singing too.
Usually live albums are throwaways but even old crank Robert Christgau
gave this album an A. But of course has to throw in his 10 dollar words
to which nobody fucking understands. Live In London is a lengthy 2 CD
set (A whopping 2 and half hours total time) and is perhaps the best
way to experience Leonard Cohen in a live setting. Cohen doesn't have
much of a voice (never really did) but his croak is more in tune than
Bob Dylan nowadays. However I do give Live In London a A minus (or four
stars mind you) and you can't go wrong. It's a fun record.
And finally, thanks be to TAD for checking out the Crabb site and if you're reading this, thanks for your support.
This just in....Sasha Baron Cohen is NOT funny. Borat wasn't funny and Bruno is worse.
I repeat you're NOT funny Sasha Baron Cohen. Jes saying.
